MFA CONFIRMS HRD DIALOGUE DATES; REFUSES REQUEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001719 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL NSC FOR WILDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2033 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV CH SUBJECT: MFA CONFIRMS HRD DIALOGUE DATES; REFUSES REQUEST FOR TIBET VISIT REF: A. STATE 40765 ¶B. BEIJING 01529 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Deputy Political Section Chief Ben Moeling. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On May 5, MFA International Organizations Human Rights Division Director Yan Jiarong told POLOFF that China "agrees" to move forward with one-half day of formal U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue (HRD) on May 26 and with related meetings on May 27, although she said China has "flexibility" to extend dialogue to a full day. Yan said Director General for International Organizations Wu Hailong "will be pleased" to lead the Chinese side. Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jieyi, our preferred interlocutor for the dialogue, will instead host a dinner. Yan offered a seven-part agenda for the dialogue that encompasses but also modifies or adds to topics we proposed. Yan accepted our "long" list of cases of concern. She delivered the news that Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) authorities declined the U.S. proposal for a visit to Tibet, on the grounds that they are "busy with restoration and reconstruction work." Speaking "off the record," Yan stated that MFA might "consider alternatives" to a Tibet trip, and said it might be possible for TAR officials to attend HRD sessions or to arrange meetings between A/S Kramer and United Front Work Department officials involved in talks with the Dalai Lama's private representatives. Yan said that the MFA has received no formal response from Beijing's Central Party School to a request she said A/S Kramer had made to speak "at the Central Party School, or some other university." Yan strongly discouraged the use of simultaneous translation at HRD. End Summary. China Agrees to Dialogue Dates, But at DG Level -------------- -- ¶2. (C) MFA IO Human Rights Division Director Yan Jiarong told PolOff May 5 that China "agrees" to move forward with one-half day of formal U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue on May 26. Conceding that China already allocated a full day for its May 15 dialogue with the European Union, however, Yan agreed that there is "room for flexibility" for China to extend the dialogue to a full day if the United States formally requests it. Yan said MFA IO Director General Wu Hailong will be "pleased" to lead the Chinese HRD delegation. AFM Liu, Yan stated, would like to meet with DRL A/S Kramer and host a dinner for the U.S. delegation on May 25 or May ¶26. Yan said no arrangements have been made for a meeting between A/S Kramer and State Councilor Dai Bingguo or Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. POLOFF reminded Yan that the Embassy had made this request explicitly on April 21. Yan said that it "shouldn't be a problem to revisit this issue." Beijing Proposes Broadened Agenda, Accepts Case List -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Yan proposed a seven-part agenda for the HRD that encompasses but also modifies or supplements topics proposed by the United States: (a) "new developments in the field of human rights in China and the United States, including judicial reform" (Note: Yan also suggested the following alternative wording for this agenda item: "new developments in economic, social and cultural rights and judicial reform"); (b) "freedom of expression, including press freedom, the Internet and responsibilities of the press;" (c) religious freedom; (d) "racism, racial discrimination and all forms of intolerance;" (e) cooperation in UN fora including the Human Rights Council; (f) technical cooperation in rule of law areas; and, (g) detainees and prisoner cases. ¶4. (C) Yan agreed that "various dialogue topics" can include discussion of Tibet-related issues. Yan officially accepted our "long" list of cases of concern and said China will provide as many responses as possible by May 26, or afterwards if necessary. Yan proposed a "gentleman's agreement" she said was the practice in past HRD rounds, whereby China expresses general opposition to outside interference in prisoner and detainee cases, but provides responsive information outside the main dialogue meetings. Yan suggested that the two sides "not get into details" of prisoner cases during the main dialogue sessions. Yan said BEIJING 00001719 002 OF 002 the U.S. side "can express concerns about individual cases" but she dismissed the possibility that U.S. inquiries will induce China to deliver any "results" other than information about the status of cases. MFA Refuses Tibet Visit, Discusses Alternatives -------------- -- ¶5. (C) Yan said China "has to decline" the U.S. delegation's request to visit Tibet. Tibet, she noted, is an "autonomous region," which means that Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) authorities have to approve any visit. "But TAR authorities are busy with restoration and reconstruction work, so they are unable to receive the U.S. delegation," Yan said. "They would welcome the U.S. delegation in the future." Yan said MFA is willing to explore "fallback" alternatives toa trip to Tibet. Speaking "off the record," he said it might be possible to arrange the attendance of TAR officials at HRD meetings on May 26, to organize meetings with United Front Work Department officials involved in talks with the Dalai Lama's private representatives or to discuss "cooperation on projects" with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission. Yan also suggested "site visits" to Beijing's Tibetology Research Center, a hospital specializing in Tibetan medicine, the Institute for Advanced Tibetan Studies, or a Buddhist Temple as other possibilities. Kramer Speech, Translation Mode -------------- ¶6. (C) Yan said that MFA has received no formal response from Beijing's Central Party School to a request from A/S Kramer (made during his April 18 meeting with Ambassador Zhou) to deliver a speech "at the Central Party School, or some other university." Yan said she thought it "would be good" if A/S Kramer changed the format of his presentation to an "interactive dialogue and meeting" with students. Yan acknowledged that A/S Kramer had proposed the use of simultaneous translation at the HRD. Nonetheless, she strongly discouraged the use of simultaneous translation, asserting that one cannot "guarantee the quality" and that consecutive translation is "almost a must" to ensure that the two sides communicate well. The additional time required for consecutive translation should not be a problem, Yan asserted, if the United States requests a full day for dialogue. Finally, Yan encouraged the U.S. side to "quickly" tell MFA what meetings it wants outside of formal HRD. Yan and other MFA IO colleagues will be away from their offices and unavailable to work on the U.S.-China HRD between May 9 and May 19. RANDT